
An autumn celebration of Desire, Touch, and Consent

featuring
Dr. Betty Martin
hosted by
River Roaring
in the beautiful city of Austin Texas
October 27-29, 2023

“What if you could come just for the fun of it? What if you could jump into the mix and see what happens? See who you meet and what you find out? Share what you know, and network with other people that you hadn’t met before? … Oh hell yeah. Yeah. That’s what this is.”
- Dr. Betty Martin about Wheel Fest 2023
Dear friend,
We’ve been apart long enough.
I’ve been waking up with a longing in my heart.
A longing to be part of a loving community of humans who want to grow our integrity in the world.
Together.
… Are you noticing anything similar?
Let’s come together in person and celebrate the Wheel of Consent, it’s creator Betty Martin, and one another.
Nourish your soul with human connection, and take a deep dive into Wheel practices and principles with the most exciting Wheel lovers on the continent.
I’m remembering different moments over the past dozen years when I noticed my heart aching for more community around the Wheel of Consent.
After Like a Pro I started using the Wheel right away in my personal life. At least I did my best.
It didn’t take long before I was sitting at home staring at the wall wishing I knew more people who knew how to practice the Wheel of Consent.
With each new playmate I would do my best to stay in my direct route, notice my desire, ask for what I want and hold my limits.
With a few who were willing, I showed them the Wheel enough so we could practice the quadrants.
And still I couldn’t help but ponder … wouldn’t it be more fun if I could find a group of “wheel geeks” who all wanted to practice the quadrants, and grow and learn together?
I also started using the Wheel right away in my professional life.
How lucky was I to be blessed with the Wheel of Consent just as I had set off to change my career from trial attorney to … sex worker? 😀
Yet even with this amazing tool, over the years there were more times than I want to admit where I sat staring at the wall after working with a client.
Stuck. 🙁
My client wasn’t showing any indication of noticing sensation in his hands.
Who could I ask “Hey, what do you do when your client isn’t showing any signs of noticing sensation in their hands?”
I wished someone would convene a support group for those of us who use the Wheel in our work.
I wanted to share and hear from others from all kinds of professions who use it in their work.
Wouldn’t we have an opportunity to serve our clients at a higher level if we were able to get together and compare notes?
And then there’s the classic question we’ve all asked: "WWBD?". 😊
I wonder what Betty would think of this?
What she would say about that?
I wonder if there’s an opportunity to hang out with Betty and ask for her reflections about my ideas?
And as I mentioned lately I’ve been present to the deeper question.
At a deeper level … where are my people?
Where are the all the souls longing to further develop the art of receiving and giving?
Hint: they’re going to be gathering in one location soon…
Wheel Fest in Austin in October will have all of this and more.
It’s an opportunity to meet and practice with other people who prioritize building their own integrity in the world.
Many who work with the Wheel and many who do not.
Oh and as for WWBD, this is definitely your chance! 😉
Betty wants to hear your stories.
What’s working?
What hasn’t worked so well?
She says “The Wheel has changed my sense of integrity, my sense of compassion for other people, things that may be defined as a spiritual path.”
She wants to know what it’s meant for you - how it’s affected your integrity when you ask for what you want instead of pretending it’s for someone else.
Oh and we just added some new mixers!
If you’re ready to make lasting connections that will propel you forward whether you are seeking connection and acceleration in the personal or the professional realms, you will have lots of informal opportunities to mingle and get to know your fellow Wheel Fest participants:
- Thursday evening meet-and-greet - we will gather at a nearby wine bar for those who are in town the evening before.
- Friday community lunch - after our visioning circle, we will have a community lunch on site at Casa de Luz.
- Friday and Saturday after Wheel Fest ends, you have an opportunity to attend some very lively nighttime events. These two events are examples of why Austin is so sexy. The Wheel Fest team is not officially organizing these nighttime activities. They are available to you and your friends who want to have a raucous evening Austin-style. If you attend either or both of these events, you may notice that this town celebrates getting up on stage and expressing yourself freely! Friday night Boner Rodeo: A Haunted Hoedown (3 miles, 15 minute car ride from Wheel Fest). Saturday night Halloween Ball & Aeriel Cabaret! (1.5 miles, 10 minute car ride from Wheel Fest).
This event is a first.
This is the first time that the larger Wheel community of workshop graduates will be gathering with it’s creator Betty Martin outside of a Like A Pro workshop.
And the truth is it may not happen again.
Betty mentions in her video that she’s currently in the process of handing the School of Consent to the next generation.
And we live in uncertain times.
As much as I don’t want to imagine it, we may or may not be able to travel as easily next year.
Which all makes this year - this Fall - the ideal time for us to come together to celebrate, explore and play!
So do whatever you have to do to get here.
Come be human with us.
We’re stronger together. ❤️
Yours truly,
River 🧚♀️
You will be immersed in a lovely Wheel community,
be led by Betty and some of the world's finest facilitators and practitioners of the Wheel of Consent, and have opportunities to share your work with others. 👯👯👯
Learn more about the Wheel ☸️
Deepen connection inside yourself 🧘🏻♀️
Deepen connection with others 💞
Enjoy Betty’s company 🥰
Express and share 📣
Learn and explore 🕵🏽
Enjoy the local area 🌤️
Have a blast 🎉
Who is it for?
If you’ve participated in a Like A Pro workshop or a Wheel of Consent Workshop with a certified facilitator, you are invited to participate in Wheel Fest 2023!
If you want to attend but have not yet participated in one of the workshops, you still have time! Register for one of the Like A Pro or official Wheel of Consent Workshops on this calendar lhttps://www.schoolofconsent.org/calendar. Then register for Wheel Fest and enter your future workshop on the registration form where it asks for your prerequisite.
Venue
We’ll gather in a delightful venue in Austin's most beautiful season.
- Fresh macrobiotic vegan restaurant onsite (meals ~$14)
- Abundant nearby food and beverage options
- Next to The Jewel of Austin Barton Springs - bring your swim suit!
- In the heart of central Austin's river, creek and trail system
- within walking distance of downtown
This is a non-residential space so food and lodging will be on your own.
We have capacity for 70 participants.
Event schedule
On Thursday evening (7pm - 9pm), join us for an optional meet-n-greet at a nearby wine bar! Details provided after you register.
Each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we will gather from 9am-9pm with ample breaks and meal-times.
We have three rooms to play in
- Auditorium: a large room primarily for touch equipped with mats and cushions and bolsters
- Synergy: a large room for talk and touch equipped with chairs that can be easily moved around
- Serena: a smaller room that is flexible
The schedule will feel something like this
- wake up in the morning and consider enjoying Austin’s trails and springs before the fest
- join morning quadrant practice to wake up your body
- enjoy Betty and other official presenters throughout the day
- stop in at the “open mic” room to learn or lounge
- enjoy your lunch and dinner time inside or outside in the in-house vegan restaurant or one of the nearby juice and elixer bars, restaurants or food trucks
- after dinner join your community in a delicious evening activity ending about 9
- connect with new friends in your free time
Oh BTW do you have to participate in all of these offerings?
… You know the answer - no. Everything is optional!
Keep it fabulous for yourself and visit the spaces you most desire all three days.
Hold your limits and don’t do anything you don’t want to do. … as always. 😉
Betty and River Bios
Aside from developing the Wheel of Consent, publishing a book about it called The Art of Receiving and Giving, and founding the School of Consent which trains official facilitators, Dr. Betty Martin is a Chiropractor, a Body Electric School trained Sacred Intimate, Certified Sexological Bodyworker, Foundations of Facilitation trainer, and a self-propelled erotic adventurer and intimacy coach. Betty has been touching people for about 30 years as a hands-on professional, first in therapeutics – Chiropractic, Educational Kinesiology, Reiki, Neuro-Emotional Integration – and later in body-based erotic education, including sensual massage, Taoist Erotic Massage, Kashmiri tantric massage and Sexological Bodywork. She is a Board member and trains and certifies new facilitators for a touch and communication workshop called Cuddle Party. Betty lives in a beautiful intentional community outside of Seattle, and loves to walk in nature and ride horses with friends and family.
River is an artist of human experience. She helps people liberate their unique sexual expression. One of the top sexologists and most experienced surrogate partners in the United States, River provides safe, confidential space for erotic understanding. Years ago, River left her decades-long career as a trial attorney and lobbyist when she realized that it’s not possible to move an imbalanced system into coherence using the tools of that imbalanced system. She’s an Artist of Human Experience, certified Surrogate Partner, certified Wheel of Consent Workshop Facilitator, certified Tao Instructor, certified Tantra Practitioner, a Toltec of the Eagle Knight lineage, a yogini of the Satyananda lineage, and a philosopher. River lives in downtown Austin and spends almost all of her free time outside in Austin’s creek-and-trail paradise communing with friends and cute animals.
Oh and they're also friends. 😊🧑🏽🤝🧑🏽💞
Registration
Tuition is $1150.00 per person.
Presenters on the official schedule will receive a complimentary ticket to participate in the entire weekend.
If you previously paid a deposit, it will be credited toward your Wheel Fest tuition. When you register, select the option that indicates you already paid a deposit 😎✅
Question?
Email us at: [email protected]
Have a question?
We want it to be easy and fun for you to participate in Wheel Fest!
Schedule a phone chat with team member Noelle and get all of your questions answered.
Yes, I'd like a quick chat!Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this for?
Where will this be?
What's the price?
May I share my work at the Fest?
Will this be on Zoom?
I live outside of the United States. Am I able to attend?
I have an idea 😃
What is the Wheel of Consent?
Who is Betty Martin?
Have a question?
We want it to be easy and fun for you to participate in Wheel Fest!
Schedule a phone chat with team member Noelle and get all of your questions answered.
Yes, I'd like a quick chat!